A comparison of temporal variation of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pPAHs) concentration in different urban environments: Tokyo, Japan, and Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

A comparative study of the real-time ambient concentrations of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pPAHs) in the vicinity of roads in Tokyo (Japan) and in Bangkok (Thailand) in summertime was carried out by using a photoelectric aerosol sensor (PAS), which gives continuous signal in relation to the total amount of pPAHs concentration. The PAS output gave a good correlation to the total concentration of the selected PAHs determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). This technique was then employed to observe temporal variation of total pPAHs. The measurements at roadside and general areas in Tokyo and in Bangkok were performed for seven consecutive days in August 2000, and in March 2001, respectively. The diurnal profiles of pPAHs concentrations in both cities were generally similar; explicit peak concentrations were observed in early morning in association with the traffic growth in the morning rush hours. A significant reduction occurred during the daytime was probably due to rising in the mixing zone. At roadside areas, the average pPAHs concentrations throughout the sampling period in Bangkok were significantly higher than those of Tokyo, owing to the larger contribution of vehicular traffic, especially heavy-duty vehicles, on the roads near the sampling site. Otherwise, all average concentrations in the general area in Tokyo were slightly higher than that of Bangkok. This was probably due to the percentage of road coverage in Tokyo being higher than that in Bangkok, creating a higher possibility for pPAHs evolving from road traffic, and the transportation pattern of the pPAHs in Tokyo showed a more broadly diffused profile than that of Bangkok. This suggests the widespread dispersion of pPAHs over the entire study area in Tokyo. At this study scale especially at the roadside, however, a high pPAHs concentration observed in Tokyo and in Bangkok was predominantly located at low wind speed, <1.0 and 0.4 m s −1, respectively, and along the direction from the roads.